Chinese humanoid robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m record in 9.32 seconds

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor has shattered the 100 meter record of Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

In a recent breakthrough, the robot named Lightning ran 100 meters in 9.32 seconds, as reported by China’s state broadcaster on Saturday.

During the second World Humanoid Robot Games, happening in Beijing, the humanoid robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second as a part of preparatory tests.

Lightning also emerged victorious in the 21km Beijing half marathon with a time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds, outperforming the elite men’s human world-record speed.

This achievement aligns with China's broader strategy of humanoid robotics as a strategic emerging industry, driven by policymakers and companies efforts that advances in AI and hardware will increase deployment in manufacturing, logistics, and consumer markets.

Speaking about robot features, the robot is 169cm tall and has 95cm legs at the half marathon. According to China Central Television, researchers have since lengthened its legs by 10 cm to 1.05 metres ahead of the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games.

The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games launched on Saturday in Beijing which are going to last until August 26. The event has drawn 66 teams and 2,056 robots from 16 countries and regions across six continents.